Adopt to Love
by Lummanarra
Summary: An orphaned child is forced to live in an orphanage.  There, he meets a couple of boys and finally has real friends. But, will his 'imaginary friend' let him keep them?


**A/N: Yeah, a pretty old idea that's been running through my mind for a while now. My first take at a serious story.**

Yatama Orphange 

Yatama Orphange is an orphange in Lower Egypt. It is home to over 100 orphans. It is known to treat it's occupants harshly, yet knowbody cares. They don't care about them, they're orphans. To them, they are useless. Why would you pity a child who's not your own?

This story is about a certain orphan. His story much like the rest, his father was a drunk and his mother died giving birth to him. His father eventually died of alcohal poisoning when this young child was around 11. He wanderd the streets a couple months and was eventually shipped to this dreadful place.

"You'll stay here with the rest of your kind," said a stern looking man holding him by the wrist. He forcefully pushed him in and slammed the door behind him. He didn't know anything about him, just enough to know he was an orphan. This made him lower than him, no politness needed.

The young orphan looked around the dirty stone room at a dozen sets of eyes. They were all staring at him with interest. Of course, who wouldn't? He was new, and maybe, just maybe, his life would be worse then theirs. Mystery surounded him, his name a secret that they wanted to know.

He felt like crying. He didn't like it here, he didn't like it when his father used hit him, he didn't like not growing up without a mother, he didn't like his life. He stood there, and stared back.

Eventually, one young boy walked over to him. He wore a tatterd red coat; had a painful looking scar under one of his eyes; and was sickingly skinny, most likely from malnutrition. Another painful glimpse at the cruelity these children went through each day. "So, you must be new," he said. "My name is Akefia, would you like to tell me yours?"

"Um, yes. I'm Marik," he wispered, looking at the ground. He looked at the cracked tiles and then at his feet, scarred from having to go without shoes.

"Hello. Come with me and we'll find you a place to sleep," Akefia then grabbed his hand. They walked by a row of beds on the wall to one at the very end. "You can stay next to me, it's the only bed open at the moment."

"Thank you," he walked over and sat on the bed with his arms around his knees as he struggled to fight back the tears burning the back of his eyes. Akefia looked at him wondering what he should say. It's pretty hard to cheer up an orphan alone, rather than having somebody who's life is already rags to try. So, he said nothing and went back over to a couple of boys he was with before Marik came in.

"Who's he?" asked a young, tan boy with tri-colored hair sitting on a bed.

"I don't know. He said his name was Marik." replied Akefia as he looked back at him. Marik was sitting on his bed with his arms around his knees, trying not to cry.

"Well, maybe we should talk to him. He looks alone."

"I guess, but we have to be careful, he looks liked he lived on the streets for awhile. He could be a ticking-time-bomb."

"Oh, Akefia, he's just a kid. His life is a nightmare."

"I know, Atem. We've all been through that stage. That still doesn't mean he's a crazy maniac!"

"Tsk Tsk Tsk, Stop being so dramatic. Now let's go talk to him."

"I guess but if he pulls out a knife and chases us, I'm going to trip you to stall him."

"I'll talk my chances."

Walking around Akefia's bed over to Marik's one. They gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, and launched thier attack. "Hello. Your name is Marik, right? I'm Atem, by the way. And, ofcourse, you met Akefia before.

"H-hello, Atem. Yes, I-I have met him," Marik murmered quietly. Always looking down, 'Never make eye-contact with them,' he always said to him. 'If you look them in the eye, they will pull you away from me. You wouldn't want that would you?' He said that all the time, and would and Marik would always reply with a no. Although he never really gave it a second thought, he guessed it was what he wanted.

"Okay. Now that we know each other, why don't we go do something?" Atem asked looking back and forth at the other two in the group.

"Eh, like what?" Akefia questioned as he boredly looked at his nails. "There's hardly anything to do, unless you want to play senet again for the umptenth time."

"Oh, come on. Senet isn't that bad. But I think my set might be missing a couple pieces... So that's out. How about hide-and-seek?"

"I know all your hiding spots."

"Oh, right. Well, what do you want to do then?"

"Well, we could always play one of the best card games in the world?"

"You only think it's good because you always win."

"Oh, man up. I win because I have the best strategies, and everyone else plays like a brainwashed cow."

"Fine, we'll play. Do you want to, Marik?"

"I guess. I don't know how to play though," Marik said never looking up. He hopes Khayal wouldn't mind, he never liked him talking to other people.

"That's okay, I'll show you everything you need to know about the game. It's real simple. First, you make a little deck of 40 cards to play with. You can borow some of mine that I've collected till you get your own. Then, when you're happy with your deck, you find somebody to duel. You both start with 2000 life points and take turns summoning monsters and using trap and spell cards to lower your oppents life to 0. I'll show you how when we play," Akefia explained while pulling a box out from under his bed.

He opened the box revialing little stacks of cards with pictures and writing on them. Some were beautiful while some were grotesque. "This is my deck that I use," he said as he held up a small stack of cards tied up with some string. "I've been improving this deck for ages now, and I've beat everyone I've played with it."

"Wow, I don't know how to make a good deck though." Marik said as he lifted his head just enough to look at the deck of cards. "But, I'll try my best to make a good deck."

"Ok, Atem, grab your deck and we'll play while he makes a deck. Remember, Marik, 40 cards." He said as he placed the box on Marik's bed and walked off to the middle of the floor to duel Atem.

"Oh, how am I going to make a descent deck. I really want to impress Akefia," Marik whispered to himself as he looked at the cards in the box.

"Don't worry, Marik," rang a voice from inside his head. "I know how to duel. I'll help you make a deck and help you win too. Only if you promise you'll never leave me. Don't let them take you away from me. Remember, I was your only friend when your father abused you, when you lived on the streets, and I'll still be your only one here."

"O-okay," he answered back. Khayal was right, and he knew it. He just felt uncomfortable with the way Khayal wanted to be his only friend.

"Good. Now, take that card, that spell card. Yes, that one, and grab the first 4 cards on that pile." Khayal smirked as he told Marik the cards to add. He had the boy right were he wanted him, he would never give him up. He was selfish and cruel, what would you expect from somebody created souly for the purpouse of dealing with pain in one's heart. Atleast, that's what Marik thought he was for, just an imaginary friend his father would say. Khayal knew better, he was aware of everything going on arround him. He was created out of hatred and bitterness, a demon in the head.

Eventually, Marik had a deck of 40 cards. Each one picked by Khayal. Marik wondered how he knew about this game that he had never heard of himself. He went over and sat down next to Atem and Akefia who were just about finished with their match.

"Ha! I won again. See, I have skills." Akefia said triumphently, as he picked up the cards from his deck.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"It's true. Marik, are you ready for our match?"

"Yes, I am. I think."

"Do you have 40 cards?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ok, well sit down in front of me and we'll begin." (This should be easy,) Akefia thought (The kid probably just haves a bunch of monsters, most likely doesn't even know how to build a decent combo.)

"Okay. Now, Marik, follow every command I give you. I can help you win to impress Akefia," Khayal said. He didn't really want to help impress him, but he knew saying that would be the only way his little puppet would listin to him. He accually hoped that by beating him, Akefia would hate him, and then Marik would be all his again.

End 

**A/N: Yea, I won't type the battle because **

**1. It would be boring.**

**and**

**2. I'm not good at Duel Monsters myself so I doubt I could right a descent battle anyway.**

**Do you think you can guess who 'Khayal' is? **


End file.
